Type-writing machine.



W. A. THOMPSON.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2:. I916.

1,200,779. Patented 0 t.1(),1916.

. jwerczag 5% af WILLIAM'A. 'rnoiarsoivr, or BELLEVILLE, ILLINOIS.

rYrn-wmrme MACHINE.

Application filed April 21, 1 916. Serial No. 92,702.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM THOMP- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Belleville, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in TypelVriting Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as l will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use they same.

This invention relates to typewriting' machines. The platen that is now universally used on typewriting machines consists of a cylindrical-shaped-member that forms part of the paper-feeding mechanism .of the machine and also acts as asupport or backing for the paper against which the type strlke during the printing operation. The feed rolls that cooperate with the platen to feed the paper are also smooth-faced members.

After the machine has been in use for some time, the outer surfaces of the platen and the feed rollsbecome so smooth and glossy that-they frequently fail to feed the paper accurately when the machine is in use, and

consequently, it is necessary to renew the platen, or the iced rolls quite often, 1n order to keep the machine in proper working condition. Furthermore, a new platen and new feed rolls sometimes fail. to feed the paper accurately when a plurality of sheets of paper with sheets of carbon interposed between same are being used 'in the machine, on account of the tendency of the under sheet, which usually very thin, to slip on the smooth outer surfaces of the platen and feed rolls. O

The main ob'ect of m I invention is to arovide a typewriting machine which is so constructed that there is little liability of the paper slipping relatively to the means that feeds same through the machine. And another object is to provide a platen for type writing machines that will feed the paper acci'irately, even after the platen has become old and worn and which is so designed that it will not blur t-he impression of the type on the paper.

Figure l of. the drawings is a perspective view of a platen for typewriting machines constructed in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 is a oross-sectional view of the platen and the paper l'ced rolls that cooperate with the platen.

Referring to thc drawings which lllUS- trate the preferred form of my invention, A

as shown in Fig. 1.

designates. a platen for typewriting machines which consists of acylindrical-shaped member having an outer surface formed of some suitable material such as the material now used to form the outer surface of a platen for typewrltmg machines. The outer surface of the platen, or-the portion of the platen on which the paper bears, is provided with a plurality of relatively shallow and narrow grooves lthat extend longitudinally Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct, 10, 1916,

of the platen and which are arranged at such an angle with relation to thelongitudinal axis of the platen that they will not-be in horizontal alinementwith the lines of printing 'on the sheet of paper-"being printed in the machine. In the preferred form of my invention, as herein shown,'the grooves 1 extend'in a'substantially spiral direction,

or, in other words, each of-the grooves 1.

forms part of a helix.. It is immaterial, so far as my broad ldea 1s concerned, how many grooves '1 the. platen is provided with, and

the lengt'hof said grooves and the angle that they are arranged with relation to the longitudinal axis of the platen is also immaterial. The grooves 1 may be molded in the outer surface of the platen during the operation of forming said outer surface, or

they may be cut or pressed in the outer sur-' face of a new platen'or-an' old platen. The grooves 1 are so narrow and shallow that even when they extend the entire lengthof the platen, as'herein. shown, they do not. detract from'theefficiency of the platen'as a striking surface for the type, and as they, extend longitudinally of the platen at' an -angle to the longitudinal axis of the platen,

the type will never strike on one of the grooves continuously during the operatlon of printing a single line on the sheet. As

previously intimated, however, it is not es",

sential to the successful operation my invention that the grooves extend theentire platen A, and the platen may either be'provided with a smooth surface or with grooves,

-lVith a typewriting machine or the construction above described theouter surfaceof the platen may become smooth and glossy without liability of causing the paper to be fed inaccurately, owing'to'the factthat the fine grooves in the platen or in'the under;

. with a plurality of grooves that extend in a. direction substantially longitudinally of said member so as to prevent the paper from slipping relatively to the platen when thev platen turned during the operation of feeding the paper through the machine on which the platen is used, said grooves being narrow and shallow enough so that-they will not blur the impression of the type on the paper.

2. A platen for typewriting machines consisting of a cylindrical-shaped member having a smooth, non-metallic outer surface in which a plurality ofvfi'ne grooves are formed, said grooves extending longitudinally of said member at an angle to the axis,

thereof and being narrow and shallow enough so that they willnot blur the impression of the type that strike against the paper supported by the platen.

A platen for typewriting' machines, consisting of a cylindrical-shaped member having a non-metallic outer surface equipped with a plurality of substantially spirallydisposed grooves for the purpose described, said-grooves being narrow and shallow enough so that they will not interfere with the printing operation of the machine in which the platen is used. 4. A typewriting machine provided Wit platen and with paper feed rolls, both cylindrical-shaped platen provided with a non-metallic outer surface equipped with relatively fine and narrow grooves that extend spirally around the platen, and feed rolls arranged below the platen and provided with smooth outer surfaces equipped with spi ally-disposed narrow and shallow grooves.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 15th day of April, 1916.

WILLIAM THOMPSON. \Vitnesses:

F. B. SMILEY, WALTER F. L. RI-IEIN. 

